Thursday, October 14, 2010

I wanted to talk today about something that I suffer from and I believe most of us out there do as well. It is joked about quite a bit but maybe most of us don't even want to own up to

it. I am talking about Procrastination. It is a serious problem in our lives and really keeps us from fully enjoying anything we do. You may recognize this within yourself if you show symptoms of putting things off, waiting until the last minute, or even anxiety over a due date. Maybe the solution can be getting rid of due dates, but lets face it that won't happen unless you are the one making the dates.

This condition can lead to some other serious conditions like perfectionism and workaholism. If we can get to the root of these issues though maybe we can save others from falling into the same trap most of us have fallen into for so many years. It doesn't have to be your downfall in life anymore.

There is a key ingredient to help most of us restructure our lives and try to alleviate some of the anxiety and stress that comes along with these conditions and that is Motivation. We may be procrastinators but when it comes down to the wire we can put together a presentation for work or school in under 12 hours, that would take most days or weeks to complete. We are efficient in those wee hours of the morning and I am here to tell you that we are powerful. If we could only exude that power in a more organized manner most of us could take over the world.

Here is an example of what I am talking about. First, what is motivation? It is when you get up the will power to go for a goal. The steps I have put together for eliminating procrastination..

1st step: Setting attainable goals within a reasonable time frame.

2nd step: Find a moderate pace to stick to that won't be overwhelming.

3rd step: Stick to that pace until a goal is attained.

The best way to do this is get organized. Create a calendar or a journal for your school work and when you will study, for how long and when things are due. Or if you want to use it for working out do the same thing. It has to be reasonable so you will stick to it though.

The most important thing to remember is that this is always a learning curve for people who suffer from procrastination. Don't get down on yourself if the pace you set has to change or even the goal changes over time. The worst outcome I have seen in my personal experience with dealing with procrastinators is it results in a low self-esteem and putting oneself down. Remember that this is all about you and your growth. Anxiety may ensue as a symptom of dealing with procrastination, but setting up schedules and time frames for attainable goals can alleviate most of the stress set up for the "when" you need to get things done. There may only be 24 hours in a day but that doesn't mean we need to spend the last few of them exerting our energy to get things done.